U.S. Soccer Announces Possible Sites for 2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final

NewsSep 11, 2005

CHICAGO (Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2005) – The Home Depot Center, Pizza Hut Park and Soldier Field are the three venues in the running to host the 2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final on Sept. 28, pending the results of the semifinal matches on Sept. 14.

The game will be televised live on GolTV for the second consecutive year, and the kickoff time for the game will be announced at a later date.

The Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) are the only team that controls their own hosting destiny. With a semifinal win against the Minnesota Thunder (USL1), the Galaxy will play host at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., on Sept. 28 to the winner of the other semifinal between the Chicago Fire (MLS) and FC Dallas (MLS).

Should the Minnesota Thunder continue their remarkable run through the tournament and upset the Galaxy, they would travel to play in either Chicago or Frisco, Texas, on Sept. 28 depending on the result of the semifinal between Chicago and FC Dallas. Should Chicago host, the game will be played at Soldier Field, while Dallas would host at the brand new Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.

At stake in the tournament is $180,000 in prize money broken down as follows: $100,000 to the champion, $50,000 to the runner up and $10,000 to the team which advances deepest in the tournament from each of the Division II, Division III and amateur levels.

The Des Moines Menace (PDL) have already claimed their $10,000 prize as the top amateur team, and three teams from USL2 – the Western Mass Pioneers, the Charlotte Eagles and the Wilmington Hammerheads – will split the Division III prize. The Minnesota Thunder have also staked their claim to the $10,000 prize for Division II.

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the U.S. Soccer Federation’s National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the competition was renamed to honor long-time soccer pioneer and National Soccer Hall of Fame member Lamar Hunt.

The Open Cup champion has its name inscribed on the base of the Dewar Cup, the three-foot tall, 100 pound trophy that has recognized the tournament champion since its inception after being donated to the American Amateur Football Association in 1912 by British distiller Sir Thomas R. Dewar. The trophy now resides at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y. where it is on permanent display.